Catch for circuit-breakers and switches.



J. A. VAN ALSTYNE.

CATCH FOB CIRCUIT BREAKERSAND SWITCHES.

' APPLICATION FILED DEC.28. 191s.

1,201,1 14. Patented 0m. 10, 1916.

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JOHN ASTOR VAN ALSTYNE, 0F SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 CASPER VINCENT SCHNEIDER, OF SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA.

CATCH FOR CIRCUIT-BREAKERS AND SWITCHES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

Application filed December 28, 1915. Serial No. 69,109.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN ASTOR VAN AL- STYNE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sacramento, in the county of Sacramento and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Catches for Circuit-Breakers and Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in catches used in connection with circuit breakers and switches and has for its object to provide an improved device of the class above indicated which shall be simple in construction and efficient in operation.

It is also particularly adapted for use with motor protecting switches as shown and described in United States Letters Patent #l,189,409 issued to me July 4th 1916.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a side view in elevation of a circuit breaker constructed in accordance with my invention in closed position and by dotted line in open position. Fig. 2 is a front view in elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a front view of the strike with roller keeper, and Fig. 4 is a view of the keeper only.

Referring to the drawings, the device in general comprises an insulating base or slab 1, a tripping solenoid 2, a catch device 3, and a resilient switch 4. The tripping solenoid, secured to the bracket 5, comprises the usual winding 6 with the freely acting armature 7 adapted to be drawn up on closure of circuit; a continuation 8 of the armature is provided of a much smaller diameter and extends somewhat above the solenoid 2; 99 are washers or weights, the use of which will be further described. The lower end of the armature 7 is pivotally mounted on the pin 10 secured in the end of the U-shaped lever 11 which is pivoted or fulcrumed at points 12 to a bracket 13 secured to the base 1. The pin 10 is extended and an insulated tripping handle C is mounted thereon.

Secured to the base 1 is a U-shaped guide 14 adapted to receive a roller-keeper 15. The guide is also provided with an opening 16 in front through which the bolt 17 passes. The end of this bolt is provided with a depression or notch A adapted to receive the keeper 15. The other end of the bolt 17 is secured to a bracket 18 attached to the insulating bar 19 of the resilient switch 4. At a point intermediate the fulcrum 12 and the outer end of the lever 11 is pivotally mounted a pair of links 20 which are also pivotally connected to the ends of the rollerkeeper 15. The usual safety fuses 21 may be provided.

Having described the various parts, the operation of my device will follow: The connections to service wires and motor having been made and the parts having been electrically connected as indicated in Fig. 2, the switch 4 is then manually closed, caus ing the armature 7 to be drawn upward with considerable force, due to the overload suddenly thrust into the solenoid windings. At the same time, the roller-keeper 15 is also drawn up by the action of the lever 11 and links 20. As the motor assumes normal speed, the armature 7 gradually drops allowing the keeper 15 to fall into the notch A on the end of the bolt 17, when the hand may be removed from the operating handle 13.

Unless the armature 7 is heavy enough to overcome slight fluctuations in the current, it will rise and cause a tripping of the catch. To overcome this, weights 9 are provided so that the armature will not be affected until a predetermined overload exists. This overload may be caused in the service wires themselves, or by a slowing down of the motor caused by too heavy a duty placed upon it, or by a hot-box on the motor shaft or elsewhere.

It will be observed that the catch device 3 is well adapted to hold the resilient switch 4 in closed position against considerable pull of the spring 22, yet on account of the roller keeper being freely movable in the U-shaped guide 14, a very slight pull, exerted by the armature 7 in the solenoid 6, on the lever 11 and links 20 will cause the keeper to rise, thus releasing its hold on the bolt 17 and allowing the resilient switch 4 to open.

Having described the invention, what I claim and desire by Letters Patent to secure, is

1. A catch comprising a U-shaped guide mounted on an insulating base, a rollerkeeper movable in the U part of the guide, a bracket secured to the insulating base above said guide, a lever pivotally mounted at its inner end to the bracket, means secured to its outer end for causing an upward movement of said lever, links pivotally connected at one end to the above mentioned lever at a point intermediate the ends thereof and pivotally mounted at the opposite end on the ends of the roller-keeper, a bolt provided near its outer end with a notch adapted to receive and hold said rollerkeeper in releasable position, and a resilient switch to which said bolt at its other end is rigidly connected, said switch being also provided with manual closing means.

2. In combination with a solenoid having a freely moving armature therein, and a resilient switch provided with manual closing means and provided also with a bracket rigidly secured thereto, said solenoid and switch being mounted on a suitable insulating base, of a catch comprising a U-shaped guide mounted on the base, a roller-keeper movable in the U part of the guide, a bracket secured to the base above the guide, a lever pivotally mounted at its inner end to said bracket and at its outer end to the abovementioned armature, links pivotally connected at one end to the lever at a point intermediate the ends thereof and pivotally mounted at the other end on the ends of the roller-keeper, and a bolt provided near its outer end with a notch adapted to receive and hold the roller-keeper in releasable position, said bolt at its other end being rigidly secured to the bracket carried by the resilient switch.

JOHN ASTOR VAN ALSTYNE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C." 

